1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a connector coupling device which couples one connector provided on the electronic equipment side to the other connector provided on the side of a case such as an instrument panel for storing the electronic equipment therein.
The present invention is based on Japanese Patent Application Nos. Hei 9-258328 and Hei 10-10644, which are incorporated herein by reference.
2. Description of the Related Art
In Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication No. Hei 8-241756, there is disclosed such a connector coupling device as shown in FIG. 16.
In FIG. 16, reference character 31 designates electronic equipment and 32 stands for a case for storing the electronic equipment 31 therein, while, when the electronic equipment 31 is stored into the case 32, the former is pushed from the front surface of the latter.
On the bottom surface of the electronic equipment 31, there is disposed one connector 33 to be coupled and, on the bottom wall 37 of the case, there is mounted the other connector 34 to be coupled at a position opposed to the connector 33. If these two connectors 33 and 34 are fitted with each other, then an electric wire 35 is connected to the electronic equipment 31. By the way, reference character 36 designates an adapter for guidance, that is, when the connector 33 is fitted with the connector 34, the adapter 36 guides the connector 33 for alignment with the connector 34, thereby facilitating their mutual fitting engagement.
In the conventional connector coupling device, by pushing the electronic equipment 31 toward the connector 34 mounted on the case side, the connector 34 on the case side and the connector 33 on the electronic equipment side are coupled together.
In such coupling method, since a force applied when the electronic equipment 31 is pushed in, that is, a force necessary for storage of the electronic equipment 31 and fitting engagement between the connectors is wholly transmitted to the connector 34 mounted on the case side, there is a possibility that the case 32 or the connector 34 mounted on the case side can be deformed or damaged, thereby making it impossible to couple the two connectors 33 and 34 together smoothly. For this reason, in coupling together multi-terminal connectors each having a large number of connecting terminals, the case must be structured such that it is stronger than necessary for protection of the electronic equipment.
Also, conventionally, there is also proposed such a connector coupling device as shown in FIGS. 17 and 18, which is disclosed in Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication No. Hei 9-17508.
This conventional connector coupling device is a device in which a slide plate 92 is slidablly stored within one connector 91 and, by means of insertion and removal of the slide plate 92, one connector 91 can be fitted with and removed from the other connector 93 with a low insertion/removal force.
However, in this conventional connector coupling device, there is a fear that the slide plate 92, which has been projected from one connector 91 before the two connectors 91 and 93 are fitted with each other, can be contacted or entangled with an electric wire or other parts (not shown) while the coupling device is being delivered; that is, due to such contact or entanglement, the slide plate 92 itself, one connector 91 or the other connector 93 can be broken. Also, when lock mechanisms (not shown) are respectively provided in the two connectors 91 and 93 in order to prevent the slide plate 92 from being removed from one connector 91, the two connectors 91 and 93 are complicated in structure, so that the manufacturing cost of a forming metal mold (not shown) becomes high. Further, for example, when means for prevention of wrong insertion is formed in one connector 91 (or the other connector 93) which is to be inserted into an equipment mounting opening (not shown) formed in the instrument panel, there arises an inconvenience that the connector (91 or 93) itself becomes bulky in shape.